Fashion Show

photos by Joyce Hunter
From left to right: Aliyah Spence, Constance Lake First Nation, Kaija Collins, Fort William First Nation, Kiaya Drake, Gull Bay First Nation, Lisa Esquega, Gull Bay First Nation, Kristen Dewey, Lac Seul First Nation, Danelle McGuinnis, Rainy River First Nation, Devyn Shebagegit, Constance Lake First Nation.

Eight women and two girls hit the stage in Thunder Bay in July and August to show the public what happens when you mix fashion with First Nation culture.

“We took 10 different styles of dresses, re-designed them with an Aborignal twist, put them on a group of young ladies and put those ladies on the stage,” said Serene Spence, one of the five designers who worked on the 10 looks for Beedaubin Resources. “The pieces were re-cut to give them an edgy, contemporary look and they were also adorned with a variety of appliqués, smiliar to what you see on shawls at powwows, and we added First Nation accessories like shells, beading and feathers to round out the looks.”

Serene Spence

The results were really quite stunning.

“The dress I was asked to wear in this show is beautiful,” said Gull Bay First Nation model Kiaya Drake immediately after the first of the three shows the models were slated to show the dresses. “I hope I get to wear it in all the shows we are scheduled to be in.”

Beedaubin Resources, Spence said, had an ulterior motive for hosting the fashion show. 

“One of the topics we focus on at Beedaubin is working with at-risk youth to enhance their lives in a variety of ways,” she said.

“Some of the girls in this particular project are high-risk youth, and we wanted to give them self-esteem and confidence. We also know this particular group of young ladies have an interest in modeling, and we arranged for a photo shoot so that they can have fashion photos that they can put towards their portfolios.”

Spence also said the fashion show is part of the “Remember Me” project Beedaubin Resources has been working on.

“Remember Me highlights the issue of the many missing and murdered Aboriginal women in Canada and it’s goal is to bring safety and awareness to all other Aboriginal women,” she said, adding the project was made possible by the Ontario Arts Council and the Ministry of the Attorney General.

“The statement we are making through this series of fashion shows is that the women we have with us are special, should be celebrated and kept safe and that it is all our responsibilities as community members to do this.”

The clothes were shown at Ojibway Keeshigun at Fort William Historical Park in mid-July as well as at an artisan’s market at Fort  William First Nation in late July and mid-August.